About Kim

I've always been an avid reader. I grew up in a house that was well stocked with books, and Mum and Dad had the attitude that 'If you could read it, you could read it'. No books were regarded as unsuitable for us and me and my sister had free rein to read whatever was in the house. It made for an eclectic mix: as a child I'd read Enid Blyton, then the next book could be James Herriot, or Jane Austen. Or even James Joyce.

I started writing novels when I was nine. My Dad gave me a little book called 'Write Your Own Novel'. I still have it! The book was aimed at children, and told you how to write a novel. So I did. I wrote a story about four children who find a spell book and do a spell that takes them back to Elizabethan times. There they uncover a plot to murder Elizabeth I and put Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne. They foil the murder plot, but then have to work out how to get back to their own time.

As you can see, I've been interested in murder and crime from a very early age! I've read true crime since my teens, and am particularly fascinated by the 'golden age' crimes from the 1850s to 1930s. I would love to research one of the unsolved murders from that period. What fascinates me more than the crime itself though, is the circumstances and people around it. I can't imagine what it feels like to suddenly find your husband, or wife, or father or sister is charged with murder. Especially when the penalty was hanging.

I went to St Andrews University in Scotland, where I gained an MA and PhD in Social Anthropology. I spent 2 years at Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Australia doing research for my PhD. Afterwards, I returned to Australia to work with Aboriginal people and help them gain access to their traditional lands. This was an amazing experience - wonderful and heartbreaking by turns.

When I returned to Britain, I wanted to explore what I'd experienced in Australia in writing, and wrote a number of short stories. But I wanted to address the injustices that Aboriginal people face, and as I love reading crime, it seemed natural to frame my story as a crime thriller. That first book was Sacred Site, published by Picnic Publishing. A couple of years later I published another Aboriginal thriller set in the Australian outback, Featherfoot.

Then a couple of years ago, someone challenged me to write a straight crime novel with a detective. I thought that sounded like an interesting challenge, and set about with crayons and big bits of paper, and private detective Eden Grey was born. The first Eden Grey novel, Paternoster, was published in 2015 by the Mystery Press, and the second one, Holy Blood, came out 2017. I'm currently writing the third Eden Grey mystery, Devil's Chimney.

Hobbies

All that sitting around writing has to be balanced out by exercise. I love walking in the countryside, and the area around Pendle and Haworth is one of my favourites. I'm lucky enough to live not far from the beautiful Cotswolds, and most weekends find me out in the Cotswold hills, getting some fresh air and exercise, and almost certainly finishing up with a cream tea!

I'm a keen gardener, and am having great fun planning, designing and planting a brand new garden. I love growing and cooking my own vegetables, though sometimes they grow in weird shapes.

I love cats, and am bossed around by a cat I bought in Australia and flew home with me. She helps the writing process by running off with my pen, sitting on my lap when I'm trying to work, and standing on the delete key.

Charities

There are a number of charities that are close to my heart. I support the Salvation Army because of their brilliant work with the homeless. For Christmas, I always ask for a donation to the Salvation Army as my present, as they provide Christmas lunch for lonely, old people who might otherwise be on their own at Christmas.

A couple of years ago I started sponsoring a guide dog called Gizmo - a beautiful black Labrador. I loved receiving my 'pupdates' from about his training and progress, and when Gizmo completed his training and was placed with a blind person, I started sponsoring a new puppy called Fifi. I've worked with a couple of blind colleagues in the past, and they told me how the guide dog doesn't just help them get out and about, it also stops them being so isolated. People might be shy of striking up a conversation with a blind person but they'll talk to the dog.

I also support the PDSA, because pets are so important to people's well-being, helping people combat stress, anxiety and loneliness. However, many people can't afford vets' bills, and so the PDSA steps in to make sure that pets get the veterinary treatment they need.

When I was at school, I was friends with a girl who had cystic fibrosis. Though she was very ill she didn't let it stop her from making the most of her life. She went to university, got a first (despite being on oxygen when she took her exams) and secured a place at teacher training college. She died just before her teacher training course started. More research is needed into cystic fibrosis, and families living with it need all the support they can get. When we got married, my husband and I asked for donations to charity instead of wedding presents. The Cystic Fibrosis Trust was on our list of charities.